Keir Starmer Blasted for ‘Treating Taxpayers Like Children’ in Controversial Chagos Deal
Conservative MPs have accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of keeping British taxpayers “in the dark” over a controversial deal that could see the UK pay Mauritius an undisclosed sum to hand over the Chagos Islands.
The archipelago, home to a key UK-US military base, has long been a point of contention. Under the government’s proposed agreement, the UK would lease back the base for 99 years at a potential cost of up to £90 million per year. However, Downing Street has refused to confirm the final figure or whether the funds would come from the defense budget.
Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Richard Holden criticized the lack of transparency, arguing that the government was treating voters like children. “They are not being transparent with the UK public over costings. The Government really needs to be upfront about these important issues,” he stated.
Holden also claimed that Labour was divided over the plan, despite assurances from ministers that the deal was in the UK’s best interests. Appearing on Sky News, Holden pointed out that while the Mauritian government had disclosed details of the negotiations, the UK public was being left in the dark.
“How can we have negotiations with one side broadcasting it on the international media, and on the other side we are just told to be good little boys and keep quiet and wait in the dark?” he questioned. He insisted that the Chagos Islands were “British territory” and demanded that the government come forward with clear details about the deal.
Meanwhile, Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle pushed back against speculation of a U-turn but suggested that former U.S. President Donald Trump—if re-elected—could block the agreement. Speaking to Times Radio, Kyle emphasized that the UK could not act “unilaterally” on the Chagos Islands deal due to its long-standing security partnership with the United States.
“The Chagos Islands have always been a military base for the UK and the US,” Kyle noted. He also underscored the significance of maintaining close coordination with Washington. “Of course, it is absolutely essential in that particular instance that we partner very closely, and we engage very, very closely with the United States.”
Kyle further defended the government’s approach, pointing to the deep security and intelligence ties between the two nations. “The security relationship and the intelligence relationship between the US and the UK is a crucial part of our special relationship,” he said.
“It would be very, very odd if we acted unilaterally when it has actually always been a bilateral arrangement that has been pivoted into the Chagos Islands.” As pressure mounts on Starmer’s government to reveal the full financial details of the deal, the controversy over the future of the Chagos Islands continues to intensify.
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